to not want dh to travel due to ebola worries

[keeptheballrolling]

Dh is due to travel next month from Heathrow airport for work (not to Africa but don't want to say where for outing reasons)
he will swap over flights on the way abd I'm worried about the possible risk of someone travelling indirectly from Africa on his flight.
AIBU to want to put us all in a bubble?

Ok, Dh will not be going to west Africa but I was concerned he might be on a connecting flight with someone from west Africa...

I agree it gets me nowhere.. would love to be chilled out about the while thing...

You could have said he was not going to West Africa as that if the affected area of Africa at the moment. Sorry it just winds me up when people talk of Africa as one big country rather than the very diverse continent that it is.

Also, to clarify on the hard surfaces point - this is only relevant if someone with Ebola has left bodily fluids on a hard surface by vomiting, bleeding etc

Someone simply touching a surface would not contaminate it.

The reason the transmission is such a concern for health workers is because, by the time a person is hospitalised, they've usually got extreme D&V, bleeding, really, really, heavy sweating etc which means there is a LOT of bodily fluids - a person who is this ill wouldn't be allowed on a flight.

Sorry x post

That's very reassuring callani thank you

I know whichusername, I understand. I know it's a very big continent but just Said Africa so people got the general gist of the situation. Will try harder next time

Yes OP - when you are worrying about your DH, would you please list all of the places he isn't going... it's just, well, lazy to group them like that.

Wind your neck in whichusername it's A continent. Perfectly fine to say he's not going to 'Africa' no different to saying he is going to Europe.

keeptheballrolling - I don't think you are being unreasonable to worry, lots of people are worried. However, really, life has to go on and if he has to go for work, he has to go.

I think even if they leave bodily fluids on a surface, you would still have to have a cut or something on your hand to get infected yourself.

And I do agree with Which, this is happening in a small part of the continent and it's unfortunate that people are tarring all of Africa.

I'm glad that's reassured you. Tbh I don't blame people for being concerned about Ebola - I think the media reporting has been shockingly alarmist and unbalanced and I'm not surprised that people are responding to that.

No need to laugh at op. OP, don't worry the risk would be minimal. I know where you are coming from but please don't worry yourself, your dh will be fine .

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/09/ebola-highly-contagious-virus-myths-outbreak-epidemic - this might put your mind at rest a little.

Chipping, Keeptheballrolling is fine with my comments so butt out. Personally, the Africa issue is a sensitive one as it smacks of colonialism. Africa the big undeveloped 'country' etc. (I know that is not what you meant Keep). When a small country in Europe you do hear people/media grouping as Europe. They specify which country.

Furthermore, this grouping of Africa might negatively affect tourism which some non affected countries heavily rely on. That might make a difference to a family going to bed hungry or full. I'll stop the preaching now.

DH and I went to Cape Verde in March. The only English speaking channel on the TV was BBC world news and they were talking about Ebola then. It was rife in Africa then. It is not new, I am surprised they managed to keep it under the radar, so to speak, for so long.

I think the media coverage has made people worry un-necessarily, most people don't know it isn't airborne and people are panicking. I am sure your DH will be fine.

whichusername don't tell me to butt out, it's a public website, not a private conversation.

Personally, the Africa issue is a sensitive one then start a thread to discuss that. Don't pick holes when someone is clearly worried.

No one said Africa was a country. It is a region, a continent.

And you are wrong. People often refer to things happening 'In Europe'.

Oh and I posted less than 20 seconds after the OP posted, which might just indicate to most people that I hadn't read her post before writing mine.

OP I'm glad I'm not the only one who wants to lock the door and live on tinned food until this is over.

Rationally I know the risks are low, but this terrifies me.

TheFairy, due respect, it wasn't kept under the radar, it's a lot more that there is a perception that we don't care, and therefore it wasn't reported.

Thanks to everyone for posting. Lots of great info and links. I do feel a little less anxious than before. Dh is living away for over a month too so I guess I'll just have to send him with lots of hand sanitizer

I don't know I would be worried too, even though I know it is unlikely. Luckily my husband works for a very large international company and they have banned all staff from traveling for business on international flights anywhere in the world because of the Ebola risk.

whichusername it's very common corporate-speak to talk about "Africa" and certainly it is grouped as one for budget, management, products etc. Middle-East is used just as generically -- had some interesting fights about whether Egypt should be chunked in with Africa or the Middle East though! (North Africans notoriously touchy that they are racially/culturally so different from sub-Saharan Africans)

What I mean middlings it wasn't on the news hardly at all until recently. A lot of people weren't aware of it, and it is only now that there is a chance it might come to Europe or the US that people actually give a toss.

That is great that you are feeling less anxious Keep. Chances are very low if he is not going anywhere near W. Africa or interacting with a lot of people travelling from W.Africa. Try not to worry.

Im sure he'll be fine! Ds1 is going to Ghana to work next month and im not worried about it... yet

Down, common corporate or not, it doesn't make it right.